Fri. 1/25/13 7:00am
markdavess:
So, you're pointing out by turning Abkhazians into just 'ethnic', that we should try at least to name the specific ethnicity. Anyway, the alphabet is called Cyrillic, for sure. if it's like a y then its 'u', like 'oo' if it ooks like p it's an 'r' (a rolled one) if it looks like a c then it's an 's', an x is like a kind of throaty sound, like in 'Juan' in Spanish, and an a is an a. For example, Sara in cyrillic is 'Capa'. So if you wrote that like it looks, it says 'Ausarykha' or 'Aa-oo-sa-roo-ha', I suspect stressed on the 'oo'. I'm in Moscow, I speak Russian, but not Abkhazian, though they all speak Russian of course.

Fri. 1/25/13 7:16am
Jason Elbogen:
Mark--actually that's not my point about the lazy-ass misuse of 'ethnic'. I think it's generally an adjective that white people from the U.S. like to put in front of anything (food, music, etc) that they think comes from from a generic exoticized 'Other' (i.e. anything non-white Euro-American).

Fri. 1/25/13 7:21am
markdavess:
Well, yeah, that's what I mean. It's no-white, non-european. If you were describing music less lazily you'd describe best just how it sounds, or maybe at least say what kind of specific ethnicity it reminds you of. Seems simple. But yes cerebral. It's 4.20 pm here.

Fri. 1/25/13 7:33am
markdavess:
@Sem Chumbo - well, yeah, be as specific as you can, but admit your lack of knowledge too, or any paradoxes. Generally burgers, hot dogs, etc. are American, but not with clear boundaries. Curry is Indian. Calling it 'ethnic' and grouping it with everything non-white is clumsy, as Jason said, and excluding the anglo-saxon or European world is silly too. When Macdonalds opened here it was exotic and foreign. Different reasons for why it was interesting to a Russian, but all the same. We're all ethnic, though of differing ethnicities, which don't have clear boundaries anyway, as doesn't food, music, whatever. But 'ethnic' does become like 'everone else'. In Russia people like 'ethnic music', but they're not including Russian music. Though probably not also American or Western European, but more third world, or at least more of a folk tradition. But, you know, the simple point was it's too general and excluding a term. I'm going to switch my brain off now.

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Fri. 1/25/13 7:33am
fred:
Collecting all the pronunciation tips from various playlist comments could make a handy guide for those DJs who don't want to butcher foreign titles. Though maybe it's not a good idea, this is radio after all

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Fri. 1/25/13 7:34am
hamburger:
Some computers are awful racists MK / That would mean no more crazy Ken track listings though fred

Fri. 1/25/13 7:39am
markdavess:
A McLobster sandwich in Nova Scotia is a sandwich made using Nova Scotian locally caught (I would hope) lobster in Mcdonalds in Nova Scotia, All of this highlights the fact that any definition is rough. People have asked me if I like anime. And to me that's like asking if I like movies. Which I guess people do. But then, do you like music, do you like food, do you like places? Some anime is great, much is crap, a minority of movies are great, but enough for me to like, my musical taste is 'specific' (as Russians say) and certainly doesn't mean I 'like music', meaning all of it. 'Ethnic' kind of means 'anything foreign', and that could cover an enormous range of things. A Greek salad and a Tikka Masala are very different.

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Fri. 1/25/13 7:43am
fred:
@hamburger: I'm sure Ken has deep resources for craziness. What I meant by saying it's not a good idea is that if you want to find what you heard and don't see the playlist, maybe it's better if it's pronounced in a way you can transcribe, even if it's the wrong pronunciation (e.g.: good luck with crazy French spellings)

Fri. 1/25/13 7:50am
Marmalade kitty:
also, a good reason we have legs is that we can walk over "national borders" anytime

Fri. 1/25/13 7:51am
Marmalade kitty:
*why

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Fri. 1/25/13 7:51am
fred:
@Yusuf: I'm sure there's a context where that makes sense, but I can't think of any right now.
I once volunteered my Tunisian ancestry to a woman who was campaigning for the National Front in the street. She spent a little time following me screaming "go home you dirty raghead", ruining her prospects (I have blue eyes and light hair)

Fri. 1/25/13 7:53am
Yusuf:
Ive often struggled with this. I dont mean to offend, I just dont know the appropriate way to ask. Sometimes I just want to know someones "ethnic?" make up is as mine is very diverse.

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Fri. 1/25/13 7:57am
fred:
@glenn: I kinda like making them show it when they try to act respectable. I do the same with religious nuts, I had a few beautiful run-ins with Jehovah's witnesses.